Accidents and Offences.

Otago Witness, Issue 1449, 30 August 1879, Page 8

Accidents and Offences.

Several hours were occupied by Messrs Eliott and Mollison, J.P's., at the Police Court on the 21st, in hearing several charges of assault arising out of a kind of faction fight which occurred in Castle street on August 14th. The parties bringing the charges were Edward Milligan, James Milligan, and Thomas Hislop. Edward Milligan charged Francis Costello, John M'Clusky, William Garvey, Thomas Dillon, Patrick Daley, and James M'Grath with assault ; James Milligan charged Thomas Dillon, Patrick Daley, and James M'Grath ; and Thomas Hislop charged Francis Costello and James M'Clusky. The affair rose out of a fight between E. Milligan and Coatello. These two were old enemies, and, meeting at the gate of Messrs Martin and Watßon's coalyard, where Costello works, words passed, and blowsresulted. The other two complainants came to the rescue of E. Milligan ; while Coßtello's fellow-workmen, the other defendants, came out of the yard to his rescue— or, as they unanimously declared, to make peace. Further complications arose through two brothers of the complainant Hislop arriving upon the Bcene, and, with the aid of sticks, stones, a 41b hammer, and a deal of bad language, there was a lively quarter of an hour between Martin and Watson's coal- yard and M'Leod's soapworke. A large number of witnesses were examined. The result waa that the Bench fined the defendant Costello LI ; ordered all parties to pay their own costs ; and Lound over the complainants E. Milligan and Hislop, and the defendant Cnntello, to keep^the peace for three months. Mr Denniston appeared for the complainants, Mr Callan for foe defendants. The inquest on the body of John Chalmers, the eneinedriver, who was killed on Friday, the 15th, through the engine rutning off the line near Kaihiku, resulted in a verdict of "Accidental death." A rumour was current a week or two since (says the Cromwell Argus) that a miner named Angus Clark, recently working at the Roaring Meg, had been drowned in tht Kawarau River while crossing in a "chair" Bear his place of residence. At least this wse the way his disappearance was accounted for at the time by some, while others inclined to think that Clark had mysteriously cleared ouAfer, to him, good and sufficient reasons. Last yewc ft wm reported that the miMiog »»n'« body h*d

bten fyuid in the Moljneux at Teviot ; but on iuquirj at the police station hero tbe officer 3cn«-.w nothir-g of it. So Ihe mystery of Clark s disappearance is, like that of Eiuhanlacn m December lafet, not yet tin veiled. By the way, we ieaid the other day that Richardson is still alive and well, breaking in hordes in Southland, Might not the police make inquiries, as it is not agreeable to have men disappear suddenly. caving behind dismal associations. The Fiji Time a has the following :— An oulTage of a most fiendish character was recently ■committed by a Fijan on his wife at Kandavu. It Bi-oms that he is of a vaiy jealous <3iipoeition, and lately, on returning from a trip to liewa, hearing that his wife had not conducted heiself as *lee ou«ht to have done, he determined upon a most drtadful revenge. He, with hi* wife, weDt out to the reef to iish in & small canoe, and jußt as she stepped into the water he drove a fish eppftr into her with such a force that it pnappad off, and had afterwards to be extracted by drawing the portion in her body right through her. Not sstihtud with this, he proceeded to hack the unfortunate woman about with a knife and cut off her ■upper lip, both ears, and gave her some dreadful gashes in the face. She has so far managed to survive these paiufu'. iv juries, and her ruffianly assailant has been lodged m the JRewa Gaol, from wbence he will be forwarde-i s. to Levuka to take his trial, and will no doubt, |Mn due cottroe, meet with the punishment auch diabolical outrage deserves. Two little brys, named James Clark ard John McCarthy, wore brought pp on two «harge« if petty theft at the Police Court on Saturday, aod sentencrd to nine days^ imprisonment, and to receive 24 stripes with a Im-ch rod. It transpired during the hearing of ihe cases that they had erected on the Town 15elt a hut, in which they had been living.

On Monday afternoon, aboub half-pas'; 2, a fire occurred by which the business premi«e« -and re^idt-Hce of Mr A. M'Donnell, of the Provincial Cooperage, Walker street, v*ere completely gutted, and Iris stock, furniture, &c, destroyed. Mr M'Don_ell hiinsalf was at Green Island at the time. Mr* H'Donn«ll was out walking in the garden, the lion so being lef bin ehavga of her bister. The fire is believed to have originated through one <f the children, a boy aboutthwe years old, takinsruome matcbo< into the parents' bedroom to look for some ff hh maiblea, and it is supposed tb« bedding was hy tbis moana set on fire. The flame 3 spread -very rapidly, the building being an old one. The iirc-bt-11 did not ring for some time, and those who firufc -weut to aid in putting the flamea out could hardly get near the place for tbe dense smoke. When the Fire Brigade cam 3 it was 100 lateiosavw anything. The buildirg, which Mr .Vl 'Donne 11 held on lease, was iusur-d in the London and Lancashire office f >r Ll5O. The tools, stock, and furniture were iusur-d in the Transatlantic office for L2OO. and Mr M'Donnell estimates his loss at LIOO over and abore this amount.